Incinerator loading device

ABSTRACT

A loading device for an incinerator whereby miscellaneous combustibles are moved effectively into a closed incinerator housing in a manner that precludes the simultaneous leakage of air. The loading device utilizes an inner carrier tube including sealing means slidably mounted within an outer sleeve which communicates with a loading opening in the housing of an incinerator. Combustibles are loaded into the carrier tube and then simultaneously moved laterally and rotated so that the contents thereof are dumped into the incinerator.

I Umted States Patent 1191 [111 3,773,193

McClure 1 Nov. 20, 1973 INCINERATOR LOADING DEVICE 3,075,657 l/l963 Hazen 214/17 cs [75! Inventor: Kenneth R. McClure Andover 1,804,544 5/1931 Pugh 214/62 A Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan 3] Asslgnee: The Alr Preheat p y, Att0rneyWayne 1-1. Lang and Eldon 11. Luther Wellsville, NY.

[22] Filed: Apr. 21, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] App! 136,081 A loading device for an incinerator whereby miscellaneous combustibles are moved effectively into a closed incinerator housing in a manner that precludes [52] fl 1 l /2 Q? 21i A the simultaneous leakage of air. The loading device 222/363 utilizes an inner carrier tube including sealing means [51] Int. Cl. F2311 3/00 Slidably mounted within an outer Sleeve which [58] Fleld of Search 214/17 B, 23, 26, municates with a loading opening in the housing f an 214/31 62 A; 222/361 363; 110/109; 198/226 incinerator. Combustibles are loaded into the carrier tube and then simultaneously moved laterally and ro- [56] References Cited tated so that the contents thereof are dumped into the UNITED STATES PATENTS incinerator.

2,304,933 12/1942 Larsen 198/226 1,875,921 9/1932 Grant et al.... 214 17 B 3 Chums 5 Drawing F'gures 3,576,280 4/1971 Altmann 222/363 2,681,136 6/1954 lpsen 198/221 Pmmmuuvzo ma 3,778.13

IN VEN TOR.

INCINERATOR LOADING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a loading device for an incinerator whereby trash, garbage and the like is moved from a collection hopper into the incinerator housing in independent charges while at the same time a seal therebetween is maintained to preclude gas or air flow between the incinerator and the ambient air. As the tubular carrier for the combustible trash is moved laterally into the combustion chamber of the incinerator, it is rotated so as to tip and deposit the combustible material contained therein in the incinerator chamber.

2. Description of Prior Art Various loading devices for incinerators are already known, some of which comprise worm type feeders of the type shown by U.S. Pat. No. 1,925,249 of Sept. 5, 1933 to L. Hinsch; reciprocating rams of the type shown by U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,905 ofJuly 3, 1951 to H. Kreisinger; or by rotary devices of the type shown by U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,377 of Sept 24, 1957 to J. Finet. However, such apparatus usually is unsatisfactory because it enables ambient air to communicate freely with the interior of the primary combustion chamber so that the conditions of combustion therein vary widely and do not follow the fixed characteristics necessary for precise control.

The use of apparatus as above defined may on occasion be completely satisfactory, however such apparatus is generally prone to having difficulty in loading, harmful clogging of movable parts and a general unreliability of operation. Moreover, such devices usually compress to various degrees the material being loaded into the incinerator so that the difficulty of combustion is increased and the time required for complete combustion may be substantially increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention I provide a loading mechanism for an incinerator which ensures continuous, trouble-free service and which requires only a minimum of operator participation and maintenance. The loading mechanism is adapted to evenly distribute in loose form trash or other combustible fuel over the combustion chamber of an incinerator while it is structurally designed to preclude the free flow of air between opposite sides thereof. Moreover, the apparatus of the loading mechansim contains a minimum of complex parts resulting in a device having low initial cost and low maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A more complete understanding of my invention may be realized by referring to the following description which may be reviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loading mechanism secured to an incinerator housing,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the loading mechanism of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier tube,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the outer sleeve, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a slightly modified arrangement.

THE INVENTION In the drawings the numeral 10 indicates the housing of a conventional starved air type incinerator comprised of sheet steel and lined with a layer of heat resistant refractory material. An opening 12 is provided for the supply of waste material while a spaced opening is provided for the exhaust of the products of combustion therefrom. Secondary burners (not shown) are ar- 0 ranged in a stack exhausting the combustion products therefrom so that the combustibles therein may be completely burned before they are exhausted to the atmosphere.

Extending through the opening 12 and sealed with respect to the housing 10 is a feeding means generally indicated at 26. As shown in the drawing the feeding means comprises an outer sleeve member 28 which abuts the housing in a sealing relationship and is adapted to hold an inner carrier or half tube 32 that slides laterally through the outer sleeve 28 and the feed opening 12 and into the interior of the incinerator 10. Material from hopper 30 is placed in the inner carrier 32 through aligned openings 34 in the outer sleeve and opening 36 in the inner carrier whereby it may be carried into the incinerator when the carrier 32 is moved laterally with respect to the outer sleeve.

Means for moving the inner carrier 32 comprise a pusher arm 42 rotatably secured to a friction-free bearing 43 at the geometric center of end plate 44 of the inner carrier 32 so that an axial moving force may be applied thereto without restraining it against rotary movement. The prime mover for the axial moving force is shown in the drawing as a reversible motor 46 including suitable controls with a reduction gear arrangement and a chain drive 48 that is secured to the pusher arm 42. The chain drive 48 is rotatably secured to a suitable pulley bracket 52 that is in turn mounted on or adjacent the end plate of the incinerator housing 10. While a motor chain drive is shown in the drawing, equivalent driving equipment utilizing a belt, a gear drive or the like may be substituted therefor without amounting to invention.

The outer sleeve 28 is provided with a straight driving slot 54 extending longitudinally along a side thereof whereby the pusher arm 42 may extend therethrough and be secured to the driving chain and motor in the manner shown by FIG. 1. As the inner carrier 32 is moved longitudinally with respect to the outer sleeve 28, it is also slowly rotated to dump the contents thereof out of opening 36 along the length of the incinerator. Means to effect the rotation of the inner carrier 32 comprise a spiral slot 56 cut in the outer periphery of the carrier 32. As the pusher arm 42 moves longitudinally along the length of slot 54 in the outer sleeve 28, pressure against the end face of the carrier moves it into the incinerator, and as the carrier 32 moves longitudinally it simultaneously rotates because of engagement of the dog 58 with the spiral slot 56, thereby dumping the contents thereof into the incinerator chamber. Suitable support means 62 extend across the housing somewhat beneath the location of carrier 32 when it is inserted into the incinerator to provide support means for the carrier when it is in an extended position.

The inner carrier 32 comprises essentially a troughshaped member having tubular sections 35 and 40 at opposite ends thereof with the top portion of the midsection cut away in the manner shown by FIG. 33 to form an opening 36. Circular plates 44 and 45 are positioned at each end of the opening 36, and one longitudinal side edge of the cut-away portion is formed with a stepped irreguiarity to provide a graduated opening that progressively releases the trash from the carrier as it rotated about its axis. Thus, the contents of the carrier are evenly distributed across the interior of the incinerator chamber as the carrier traverses the incinerator housing and slowly rotates about its longitudinal axis.

To preclude the leakage of air into the incinerator, or under some conditions, the leakage of smoke and gas from the incinerator to the ambient air, a special arrangement is provided at the end of the sleeve 28 that traverses the incinerator whereby one of circular end walls 44 or 45 at all times lies within the tube portion 28 of the outer sleeve to separate the interior of the incinerator from the ambient air. Thus, the inner carrier 32 is formed to include the tubular walls 35 and 40 at opposite ends of the carrier opening 36 while the outer sleeve comprises a completely tubular member at opposite ends with the loading port 34 therebetween. The straight driving slot 54 and the spiral turning slot 56 extend along the sides of the sleeve and are preferably on opposite sides thereof. The feeding device defined therefor comprises an essentially close-ended carrier tube 32 that slidably fits within an open-ended sleeve 28. Thus, so long as either end wall 44 or 45 of the carrier is enclosed within the tubular portion of the outer sleeve there can be no leakage between the loading opening and the atmosphere. Moreover, the tubular wall of the outer sleeve 28 is axially longer than the axial length of opening 36 in the inner sleeve 32 so that as wall 45 is being moved laterally to close the tubular member 28, the wall 45 within tube 40 closes off the flow of air between the incinerator and the atmosphere. Soon after the wall 62 is moved across the loading slot 34 to the tubular portion 28 of the outer tube, the opening 36 of the inner carrier reaches the interior of the incinerator and is rotated to dump its load of trash therein.

in a modified form of the invention the open troughlike carrier 32 moves axially into the incinerator chambar, the loading openings are sealed and then the contents thereof are dumped by rotating the inner carrier 32 within the outer sleeve 28. The imperforate body of carrier 32 subjacent the loading slot is rotated quickly to seal the port 34 of the outer sleeve 28 prior to movement of end wall 45 from the end of tube 28. inasmuch as sealing the port 34 of the incinerator is dependent upon rotating the inner carrier 32 within the outer sleeve so that the imperforate wall of the carrier 32 closes port 34 rather than moving wall 44 axially to close the sleeve, there is no need to make the tube 28 longer than the loading port 34 and the hopper 30 may be located adjacent the incinerator housing to make the entire arrangement considerably more compact. However, inner carrier 32 must be rotated somewhat more rapidly to seal off the port than if rotary motion were needed only to rotate the carrier 32 sufi'icient to dump the trash in the incinerator, therefore a camming slot 66 having a slightly different cam configuration with a steeper pitch than cam slot 54 may be required.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention will become apparent in view of the above teachings. it is therefore understood that equivalent means may be used freely without resorting to invention. It is also intended that all material shown in the accompanying drawings or described in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as iliustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An incinerator having a housing that includes a fuel inlet port and a spaced exhaust port, a receiving hopper for the collection of material to be burned, a cylindrical sleeve having a loading port in engagement with said hopper and extending to the fuel inlet port of the housing, a tubular carrier slidable in said sleeve and having a loading opening in engagement with the loading port of the cylindrical sleeve, circular end walls arranged in said tubular carrier at opposite ends of the loading opening, drive means for reciprocating the carrier between the hopper and the incinerator housing, a cam actuator rotating said carrier to sequentially dump the contents thereof from the loading port as the carrier is moved laterally into the incinerator, a protuberance on the slidable carrier that contacts said cam to effect its rotation in the sleeve and dumping the contents thereof into the incinerator housing, a rotary thrust bearing intermediate the carrier and the drive means adapted to permit rotary movement of the carrier while appiyingan axial force thereto, and a side of the loading opening of the carrier being stepped to provide a graduated opening thereto whereby the contents of the carrier are dumped progressively as the carrier is rotated about its axis.

2. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the length of said sleeve lying between the loading hopper and the incinerator housing is greater than the distance between the imperforate ends of said carrier whereby one of the imperforate ends of said carrier at all times lies in the sleeve to provide a seal between the ambient air and the interior of the incinerator to preclude free passage of air therebetween.

3. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for rotating the carrier comprises a protuberance on said slidable carrier, and a spiral slot formed in the wall of said conduit adapted to receive the protuberance and rotate the carrier about its axis as the carrier is moved axially into the incinerator. 

1. An incinerator having a housing that includes a fuel inlet port and a spaced exhaust port, a receiving hopper for the collection of material to be burned, a cylindrical sleeve having a loading port in engagement with said hopper and extending to the fuel inlet port of the housing, a tubular carrier slidable in said sleeve and having a loading opening in engagement with the loading port of the cylindrical sleeve, circular end walls arranged in said tubular carrier at opposite ends of the loading opening, drive means for reciprocating The carrier between the hopper and the incinerator housing, a cam actuator rotating said carrier to sequentially dump the contents thereof from the loading port as the carrier is moved laterally into the incinerator, a protuberance on the slidable carrier that contacts said cam to effect its rotation in the sleeve and dumping the contents thereof into the incinerator housing, a rotary thrust bearing intermediate the carrier and the drive means adapted to permit rotary movement of the carrier while applying an axial force thereto, and a side of the loading opening of the carrier being stepped to provide a graduated opening thereto whereby the contents of the carrier are dumped progressively as the carrier is rotated about its axis.
 2. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the length of said sleeve lying between the loading hopper and the incinerator housing is greater than the distance between the imperforate ends of said carrier whereby one of the imperforate ends of said carrier at all times lies in the sleeve to provide a seal between the ambient air and the interior of the incinerator to preclude free passage of air therebetween.
 3. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for rotating the carrier comprises a protuberance on said slidable carrier, and a spiral slot formed in the wall of said conduit adapted to receive the protuberance and rotate the carrier about its axis as the carrier is moved axially into the incinerator. 